Welcome back to Trivia Tuesday! Here’s a short and sweet video about Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel found on Disneyland Resort property in Anaheim, California. Like these posts? Check us out on Facebook and YouTube!

This is Part 2 of a series about taking parents to Walt Disney World. You can read Part 1 here. Thanks to the folks at the WDW Today podcast, I was able to put together a timeline of things that my parents and I will have to do to prepare for our Walt Disney World trip. […]

Thanks to the folks at the WDW Today podcast, I was able to put together a timeline of things that my parents and I will have to do to prepare for our Walt Disney World trip. I put it together in August and sent it to my father…and then completely forgot about it.

Suddenly a couple of weeks ago, I realized that some of those things on the timeline were quickly approaching. I called up my dad and we discussed a few things concerning our lodging. With his input, I know that we made some good choices.

Photo Courtesy Brian McNichols

Budget-Friendly…

First of all, my parents wanted to keep costs low, for the most part. This wasn’t going to be a once-in-a-lifetime, spend-all-the-money, splurge-on-everything-type trip. With that in mind, they also wanted to stay on property. My dad knew the cost ranges of the hotels (I bought him the current Unofficial Guide book so he could research) and where they were located.

Lisa M, a commenter from my previous post, mentioned that her family stayed at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and really enjoyed it. I had already been thinking about this location myself and suggested it to my father. I also told them about the other budget resorts, Pop Century and the All-Star Resorts. Art of Animation is the newest of those, and while I have enjoyed my past experiences at Pop Century, I recommended giving Art of Animation a try.

Photo Courtesy Brian McNichols

He and my mom decided that for most of the trip, we would stay at the Art of Animation Resort in a standard room – a suite wasn’t necessary, so we could reduce costs that way. There were several perks to this choice. We would be using a rental car, for the most part, but having reliable transportation was a plus. (Most of the budget resorts, due to their size, have a lot of buses routed to those resorts.) We also could take advantage of the nice food court (called Landscape of Flavors) that Art of Animation has, while also utilizing their mini-refrigerators to keep breakfast foods cold and save some money on morning meals.

…With a Little Splurge

My parents also decided that they wanted one night at a moderate or deluxe resort. For this one, they asked me where I thought we should stay.

I have been inside many of the deluxe resorts that are on Disney parks property, and I love the Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge resorts. However, I also took into consideration one of the things that can ruin a vacation: the time it takes to go from the parks back to the resort. Waiting in line for buses or monorails or boats or trams can be a major hassle after a long day in the parks.

So with that in mind, I recommended my favorite Epcot resort: Disney’s Yacht Club. This one has always reminded me of the lighthouses and beaches of the Great Lakes (I’m from Michigan), and that atmosphere is very calming and peaceful. Out of the Epcot resorts, it’s the second-closest one to the International Gateway (about a 10 minute walk, depending on where your room is) and will be great to retreat to as we finish up a night in Epcot’s World Showcase.

I also wanted to take advantage of one of the best resort pools on property, Stormalong Bay. My mother loves her swimming pools (she might deny it, but I think the reason we always stayed at hotels with pools was because of her) and I think she would get a real kick out of Stormalong Bay.

Advantages of a Universal Resort

Our final night in our park hopping will be at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort. I wanted my parents to be able to enjoy the Harry Potter experience without feeling too rushed, so I chose to stay on Universal property so we could use their early park admission and get in an hour early. Cabana Bay is the only value resort that also offers this bonus.

Cabana Bay also offers a great atmosphere of vintage 1950s and 1960s designs which I’m sure both my parents will enjoy.

The distance to the parks is also a plus – we could take a bus or walk to Universal in about 15 minutes. Since this will be near the end of the trip, my parents will appreciate the close proximity, as well as being able to sleep in a little bit later!

My family is trying out some new things on this trip when it comes to lodging. While they mainly are just looking for a good place to catch some zzzs, they are also looking forward to a few upgrades that will help them make the most out of their Disney trip!

If you could upgrade your resort hotel, where would you stay? What are the must-haves when you stay on Disney property? Please comment below!

Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel is one of our favorite places in the entire Disneyland Resort, so it’s an understatement to say we’re excited about the opening of its East Coast outpost. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is about to debut at Walt Disney World’s newly retro-christened Polynesian Village Resort, and […]

The line to enter and take a “tour” of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto (no drinking involved) stretched down the corridor.

Unfortunately, only cast members were permitted inside, and no photography was allowed. From those who did make it in, we hear the bar has numerous visual and audio effects associated with ordering various specialty drinks, including some tributes to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and the Enchanted Tiki Room.

This is as close as I got to the inside of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto…

This map highlighting the Polynesian’s new DVC villas and bungalows was distributed to the preview participants.

We were able to take a stroll around the exterior, and catch a glimpse of the still-unfinished patio. While everyone is going to want to sit inside to experience the special effects, this outside seating is critical because there are only about 50 indoor seats. Even with the patio, only about 100 guests at a time will be able to enjoy Trader Sam’s, and a host stand outside will distribute pagers while everyone else waits.

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto will operate from 4 p.m. to midnight. All ages are allowed in the afternoon, but you must be 21 or older to enter after 8 p.m. We’ve heard Thursday, March 26th as the projected public opening date for Trader Sam’s, but that is unofficial and subject to change. When it is open, we’ll be there to bring you details on on the drinks, snacks, and kooky effects that lie in store.

While looking at the Trader Sam’s construction, I also caught some snapshots of the progress on Poly’s central volcano pool, starting with this map posted outside the new Pineapple Lanai Dole Whip window.

Back inside the hotel’s Great Ceremonial House, the newly refurbished lobby — now completely shorn of its original simulated rainforest, smell and all — just received another addition: this tiki statue, who seems to be shrugging:

Speaking of tikis, spot these sneaky guys in the Polynesian’s lobby gift shop.

Finally, the landscaping immediately adjacent to the Poly’s entrance seems to be getting an overhaul. It looks like they may be enhancing the water feature here, which could make partial amends for the loss of the indoor waterfalls.

Have you been to Trader Sam’s in Disneyland? What are you most looking forward to at the new Trader Sam’s? Let us know in the comments!

It seems like only yesterday that we were wondering when the new pedestrian walkway and garden bridge connecting the Cabana Bay Beach Resort with the rest of the Universal Orlando Resort would open. Well, wait now more, because it looks like The Cowfish wasn’t the only thing Universal quietly debuted this month. The Cabana Bay […]

The Cabana Bay garden bridge opened recently, and even though the walkway between the hotel and CityWalk isn’t yet fully landscaped, I wanted to capture the following POV video to give you a feel for this new path’s potential:

As you can see, the walk took me a little over 12 minutes at a moderate pace. That’s about the the same time as (or even a little less than) using the exitsting sidewalks on the opposite side of Hollywood Way, which you can see in this video I shot earlier in the year:

However, the new walk is much safer and more scenic — or at least it will be once certain portions look a little less like a construction zone.

Either way, the commuting time is within a couple minutes of a one-way trip on the resort’s efficient bus system, so the choice of transportation options comes down to personal preference.

As an added bonus, the new path provides some interesting views of the Sapphire Fall construction site, which is the next midpriced hotel set to open on Universal property. Right now, its mostly a pile of dirt, but it should soon become increasingly active.

Have you stayed at Cabana Bay and walked to the Universal parks? Share your experiences in the comments below!

Welcome to 1962! The first phase of Cabana Bay Beach Resort opened on March 31, and we are bringing you a photographic peek at Universal Orlando Resort’s first moderately priced hotel. As you can see, the new resort is inspired by the mid-century modern motor lodges from Wildwood, New Jersey, to Miami Beach, which once […]

Welcome to 1962! The first phase of Cabana Bay Beach Resort opened on March 31, and we are bringing you a photographic peek at Universal Orlando Resort’s first moderately priced hotel. As you can see, the new resort is inspired by the mid-century modern motor lodges from Wildwood, New Jersey, to Miami Beach, which once defined the American family vacation. We’ll be back in the near future with a fully detailed review of the resort, but for now enjoy this pictorial guide to the newly launched property.

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Exterior

Photos by Seth Kubersky

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Lobby

Cabana Bay Beach Resort Family Suite Guest Room

Swizzle Lounge Lobby Bar

Universal Gift Shop

Some seriously mod resort wear for sale!

Cabana Bay Starbucks Coffee

Photos of Weeki Wachee mermaids.

Cabana Bay North Courtyard Pool

Live band performing poolside on opening night.

Poolside fire pit, s’mores kit optional.

Self service laundry: $3 wash, $3 dry, $1 soap.

Dive-in poolside movies, featuring Elvis’ Blue Hawaii.

Pool closes at 10pm.

Bayliner Diner Food Court

Galaxy Bowling Alley

Game-O-Rama Arcade

Many of the arcade games are brand new models straight from the IAAPA show floor.

Last month, I brought you pre-construction photos of the pedestrian path that guests of the Cabana Bay Beach Resort will use to walk from Universal Orlando‘s newest hotel to CityWalk and the theme parks. Since then, I’ve received exciting new details on designs for the Cabana Bay Beach Resort Garden Walk, which will eventually supercede […]

The walking path on the north (westbound) side of Hollywood Way will have to serve temporarily for guests unwilling to take the provided shuttles buses during the hotel’s initial opening phase. The walk, which I documented in a video, is entirely navigable at this time with the exception of a crosswalk and traffic signal at the final intersection, which could be easily added before Cabana Bay’s first guests arrive at the end of March.

There are additional survey markers in this area since my last visit, but no other signs of major construction.

It’s a much different story on the south (eastbound) side of the street, were major work is already well under way on the permanent Cabana Bay Beach Resort Garden Bridge and path. This was the more ambitious of the two concepts for an elevated pedestrian connector, and appears to be the one they are currently building.

According to blueprints provided to me by an anonymous source, the Garden Bridge seen in this rendering will cross over Adventure Way, taking guests from near the entrance to Cabana Bay to a new garden path that will eventually connect with the exisiting Royal Pacific Resort walking path.

Universal will need to provide a way for guests walking along Hollywood Way to safely traverse the driveway of the Pacifica Ballroom, and the canal bridge near the Royal Pacific will be rebuilt to accomodate pedestrians near the point where the two paths merge.

Finally, a few new final tidbits of Cabana Bay information:

Parking will be only $10 per car per night, but there is no valet available.

Check-in time is 4:00 p.m.; check-out time is 11:00 a.m.

The fitness center will be themed to 20th-century fitness icon Jack LaLanne, including memorabilia and vintage workout shows on the televisions.

The first phase of Cabana Bay Beach Resort opens on March 31, 2014, and while Universal Orlando‘s first value-priced hotel will have plenty of amenities (like a 10 lane bowling alley) it won’t have water taxi transportation to the theme like the original three Loews-operated resorts. Universal will provide bus transportation from Cabana Bay to […]

The first phase of Cabana Bay Beach Resort opens on March 31, 2014, and while Universal Orlando‘s first value-priced hotel will have plenty of amenities (like a 10 lane bowling alley) it won’t have water taxi transportation to the theme like the original three Loews-operated resorts. Universal will provide bus transportation from Cabana Bay to the main parking hub, but many guests will find it quicker and more convenient to walk to the attractions. In order to accommodate them, construction began last week on a new Cabana Bay pedestrian bridge, which will permit safe passage across Hollywood Way at Adventure Way.

This corner will soon be the site of Universal Orlando’s Cabana Bay pedestrian bridge.

Electronic signs warn motorists of bridge construction.

Landscaping appears to be cleared in order to prepare for bridge construction.

Construction warning flags mark buried utilities.

The exact design of the bridge is also bit of a mystery. Originally, concept art depicted a fairly utilitarian structure.

Concept art courtesy Universal

Then late last year, proposed designs surfaced for an innovative landscaped “green bridge.” Now that work has begun, we should soon know which way they’ve decided to go.

Concept art by Green Roof/Miles Architecture/Libra Design

To celebrate the groundbreaking, I recently took a stroll from the Cabana Bay construction site to the CityWalk entrance near Margaritaville, in order to document what the path currently looks like:

As you can see, there are some interesting backstage views into Islands of Adventure (which may very well get covered up) and lots of greenery. The walk took me 8 minutes; even if you almost double that to account for crossing the bridge and finding your room, most Cabana Bay guests should be within about a 15 minute walk of Universal CityWalk. That’s only a few minutes further away than the Royal Pacific Resort, and about the same as many “walking distance” hotels around the Disneyland Resort (including the Disneyland Hotel).

Are you planning on staying at Cabana Bay? Do you think you’ll walk, or will you get to the parks by bus? Let us know in the comments below!

Since it opened with Loews Royal Pacific Resort hotel in 2001, Emeril’s Tchoup Chop has established itself as one of the best upscale eateries at Universal Orlando Resort. To kick off 2014, my favorite happy hour hangout has shaken things up in a serious way, with a new chef, new front-of-house management, new flavors, and […]

New chef de cuisine Ryan Vargas (a veteran of Four Seasons and Ritz Carltons in Hawaii and Palm Beach) came on board in October, but only recently introduced his completely revamped menu. The emphasis is still on “Asian-inspired island cuisine”, but there are a variety of new appetizers and entrees, an expanded sushi selection, and a brand-new specialty cocktail list.

Me with Chef Ryan Vargas.

The centerpiece of the refreshed menu is the Robata grill, a “traditional Japanese grill that sears meat, seafood and vegetables at up to 1,000° F, allowing dishes to maintain their natural juices and flavor.” Tchop Chop’s Robata is reported one of only two in the area, and after sampling its results I’m sure to return for more.

We tried three of the Robata menu’s small plate selections, which were beautifully presented on a single platter.

Califlower ($4) was a smallish portion, but the char brought out the vegetable’s natural flavor nicely, and the accompanying curry sauce had a spicy kick.

The Japanese eggplant was elaborately carved like an edible piece of art, and the blackened skin paired perfectly with a chili mint sauce, but I didn’t particularly care for the wet, mushy interior.

Pork belly, served with tamari chile vinegar, was far and away the star of the show. The unctuous fat was blackend to an umami-filled ash on the outside, and gorgeously gelatinous underneath. Even if every other item on Tchoup Chop’s menu was abysmal (hint: they aren’t), this perfect piece of pig would be worth the trip all by itself. At $8, I didn’t feel feel the price was too outrageous, especially if you compare the quality and quantity to the tapas offerings at Epcot’s new Spice Road Table.

Behold the beauty of carmelized pork belly fat. Yummmmm…

Finally, for those who are frightened by change — fear not! The fabulous daily happy hour (5 p.m. to 8 p.m.) still offers $5 full-sized appetizers, including the addictive kiawe baby back ribs. I’ll see you at the bar!

In early November I’ll be going to my first ever character breakfast on Universal property, and it will be at Jake’s American Bar at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. After I made my reservation (through OpenTable), I realized I had never eaten at Jake’s. I consider the Royal Pacific my second home in Orlando but […]

In early November I’ll be going to my first ever character breakfast on Universal property, and it will be at Jake’s American Bar at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. After I made my reservation (through OpenTable), I realized I had never eaten at Jake’s. I consider the Royal Pacific my second home in Orlando but spend a lot of my eating time either poolside at the Bula Bar & Grille or in the lobby area at the Orchid Court Lounge. So on my most recent visit to the Universal Orlando Resort, I decided to hit Jake’s twice in one day to check it out.

Jake’s is located on the ground floor of the Royal Pacific and is right across from the Islands Dining Room.

Jake’s American Bar.

Beer sampler. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Right next to the hostess stand was this sign for $10 beer flights. At this point I knew I’d be trying all of them. About once a month Jake’s holds a Beer Dinner, where there is live music and an all-you-can eat situation involving food and beer. For the month of October it was held on Friday the 4th, and in honor of Oktoberfest they christened the first annual Beer Festival. Long story short, if you like beer you’ll love Jake’s.

The beers you can choose from for the flights included: Stella Artois, Bell’s Best Brown Ale, Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, Clear City Jai Alai, Yuengling American Amber Lager, and Goose Island Honker’s Ale. We ordered two flights to make sure we could try all of them.

Since there were six beers to choose from, but eight slots in our beer flights, we decided to try them all before choosing which final two we wanted. While we were deciding, the server came by and gave us a glass of Cigar City Brewing‘s Blueberry White Oak IPA. Cigar City Brewing is a local brewery located in Tampa and was a part of the inaugural Beer Festival the night before.

Blueberry White Oak from Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

The Blueberry White Oak, Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, and Goose Island Honker’s Ale were the big hits, the latter possibly for the name alone. Jake’s also now has it’s own brew on tap, JAKE’S AMERICAN RED LAGER. This is a tasty beer, very similar to Killian’s Red and even the Hog’s Head Brew in the Wizarding World.

Jake’s American Red Lager.

Jake’s Red Ale tap. (photo by Brandon Glover)

Jake’s American Red Lager (photo by Brandon Glover)

While we were enjoying the beer, our appetizer of the Homemade Pretzel Rods arrived. Costing $7, these were gigantic and came with two sauces: tangy mustard and four cheese porter fondue. I consider myself a connoisseur in the area of breadsticks, so when I say these were good you can take that one to the bank.

Next up was the Fresh Garden Greens salad. This consisted of local organic greens, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and had a side of Ginger-soy dressing. ($10)

Fresh Garden Greens salad with Ginger-soy dressing

The biggest hit of the afternoon was the Tomato Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This had sun dried tomato pesto, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic glaze. ($12)

Tomato Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Raves across the table for the sandwich. But one of Jake’s specialties is burgers…

If this doesn’t get you to Jake’s, you may want to check your pulse. (photo by Brandon Glover)

And you gotta end your meal with a wonderful bread pudding.

Bread pudding. (photo by Brandon Glover)

I know that many theme park foodies appreciate when their restaurant has a complete back story, so here’s a full page history of “Jake McNalley” and his association with Royal Pacific Airways. This also continues the overall theme of the resort, which centers around the 1930s and the Golden Age of Travel.

#story

At this point we finished out meal and headed over to Universal Studios Florida for Halloween Horror Nights. While at HHN we also tried a whole bunch of food and alcohol – for research purposes, of course (see this weekend’s edition of the Saturday Six for the results) – but afterwards we stopped by Jake’s to cap off the night.

Late Night Menu

While Jake’s Late Night Menu is very limited, it does have a fully stocked bar.

Not only is Goose Island Honker’s Ale my new favorite beer, it’s also my favorite beer tap. Although there is something to say for that weird Jai Alai one as well.

First order was for the Sweet & Spicy Buffalo Wings. These were coated in a tangy mustard sauce and had ale cheese sauce for dipping. Good quality wings, but a slight step down from your wing offerings at places such as Buffalo Wild Wings or Duffy’s. ($11)

We also tried the Cheese Pizza. This was better than expected hotel pizza. ($13)

Calamari. (photo by Brandon Glover)

We sat at the bar itself, but there are tables nearby, as well.

Overall Thoughts: I consider Jake’s American Bar to be a pretty big hit. The lunch menu was large, everything we had was very good, and there several more items I want to try on my next trip. Service was fast and not pushy, making for a very relaxing meal. For the late night trip, it was a good discovery to find a place in the hotel that stays open late to order drinks and some light fare. I remember on one of my previous trips I actually walked to CityWalk at midnight because I had a craving and just assumed everything in the hotel was closed. The quality of the food has me really looking forward to the character meal now. I will report back in a month. Same TouringPlans time. Same TouringPlans channel.